I thought it might be a happy thought to remind everybody that, regardless of all the bad publicity about the failed California solar company Solyndra, the sun is still shining.

The Obama administration loaned Solyndra $535 million in 2009 to help create jobs in America. It failed to do so. We later learned from an independent auditor that the administration moved “‘too fast” without solid information.

One of the backers of the company was oil billionaire George Kaiser, who raised $50,000 for Obama’s 2008 campaign. Well, OK, but it was still a step in the right direction considering our huge energy crisis.

Had Obama been able to steer that money another way, the investment could have turned out to be very effective. For instance, if the money had gone to state rebates for solar hot water, at say $1,000 per residential installation, he could have had 535,000 California residents install these systems.

In other words, 535,000 people could have reduced their electric bill by 30 percent forever! Their total payback period would have been less than 4-5 years. And with the loans that are available now, they would have had a net cash INCREASE while making the investment.

We’re doing it here in Florida with the help of $1,000 from Gulf Power, combined with the $2,100 available as a federal tax credit. And if the state of Florida would bring back the solar rebate that is now expired, it would be better than ice cream.

So I’m here to tell you, regardless of where you buy your system, the sun is still shining, solar still works, the fuel is free and the answer comes up every morning.

PATRICK E. MUTH
Panama City

Editor’s note: The writer is an independent contractor that’s been involved in the solar industry in Bay County for more than 35 years.